Research shows that middle childhood, ages five through ten, is the most important period in the cognitive development of children. In a study, research indicated that the amount of resources available and the socioeconomic status of a child are directly related to the development of their cognitive abilities. Cognition refers to the way of knowing, thinking, learning, remembering, inhibiting, and problem solving. Previous research relates that experiences during early childhood provide the foundation on which future social and cognitive gains rest and is the period in which outcomes as adults can be predicted. In this study, investigators studied the relationship between experiences during middle childhood and future outcomes as adults.


Methods

Authors of the study utilized data from the 1970 British Cohort Study, which followed 17,500 children born in 1970. Subjects were followed up at ages 5, 10, 16, 26 and 30. Researchers examined data collected between the ages five and ten, exploring outcomes as adults 25 years later. The consequence of socioeconomic status on cognitive gains between ages five and ten was evaluated. Investigators also focused on subjects who made large declines and increases in their cognitive abilities during mid-childhood, looking for indicators that could influence their cognitive development during this period.

Based on the gains or declines in mid-childhood, researchers placed subjects in various groups:

High persisters – subjects with high marks on cognitive assessments at age five and ten.
Low persisters - subjects with low marks on cognitive assessments at age five and ten.
Escapers - subjects with the lowest marks on cognitive assessments at age five but managed large increases by age ten.
Fallers - subjects with the highest marks on cognitive assessments at age five but suffered large decreases by age ten.

Results

Socioeconomic status between ages five and ten was the greatest predictor to cognitive development and adult outcomes. Children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were much more likely to be low persisters than subjects from wealthier settings. In addition, if poorer subjects had a cognitive advantage at age five they were much more likely to lose it by age 10.

Escapers were much more likely to experience positive outcomes as adults. Likewise, they were equally as likely as subjects from wealthy backgrounds in their chances for success as adults.

High achieving subjects who lost their gains by age ten eroded the benefit of ever having performed well on assessments at age five.

Conclusions

Researchers contend that the findings of the study indicate that the experiences (regardless of their origin) and socioeconomic background of children during middle childhood are of great salience to the future development of children. Youngsters who perform well on cognitive assessments at age five, in many instances, never regain their advantage by age 10, resulting in a greater likelihood of negative outcomes as adults. Authors of the study suggest implementing initiatives, which focus on maintaining cognitive advantage throughout middle childhood.



Complete findings of the study appear in Child Development Vol. 75, Issue 5, December 2004


Author and inquiries

L. Feinstein and J. Bynner, University of London.